Soon, foreign air force base will be strengthened by the system of energy weapons to defend against enemy drones. We are talking about three systems – HELWS high-energy laser and microwave guns PHASER and THOR.
The system of laser weapons HELWS developed by defense contractor Raytheon on the basis of the all-terrain vehicle Polaris MRZR. The laser works in tandem with the advanced electro-optical/infrared sensor designed to detect, identify and track drones.
Finding the target and getting the team on its destruction, calculation HELWS makes a shot. The system can operate from a conventional 220-volt outlet and is designed for a few dozen shots on a single charge. Multispectral targeting system HELWS is essentially the same system of monitoring and tracking what is installed on the UAV MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.
High-energy microwave gun PHASER, which is mounted in the transport container is also the brainchild of Raytheon. It requires only one microsecond to knock out the electronics of the drone, after which it will fall to the ground. Due to the conical shape of the beam, the PHASER may a single pulse to hit multiple targets.
The THOR system was developed by specialists of the research laboratory of the U.S. air force. It’s an electromagnetic weapon designed to counter groups of drones, also comes in a shipping container. Its setting takes three hours.
HELWS, PHASER and THOR will be deployed initially in a foreign air force bases, and then to the United States.
Source — Air Force